General Wayne Inn Still Standing; Demo Coming Soon, Town Says

Despite plans to raze the General Wayne Inn in Southold over the summer, the dilapidated piece of local history is still standing — but not for long.

The structure has crumbled even more substantially in recent months.

On Tuesday, Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell said plans were in place to demolish the structure.

"There are new buyers who have assured the town that they will demolish the building and restore the site to a pristine state," Russell said. "They are working through the closing process with the bank and have not completed the transaction."

In June, the Southold Town board held an unsafe building hearing regarding the General Wayne Inn, located at the end of Main Bayview Road at 1275 Cedar Beach Road  -- and the board agreed to deem the dilapidated structure as unsafe.

Southold Chief Building Inspector Mike Verity said he responded to a complaint about the property in April and went to inspect the former Inn, which was glorious in its heyday.

But the passage of time, fierce storms, and abandonment have not been kind to the building, Verity said. "Basically, the property was unsafe. The building is falling down. It's structurally unsound -- and dilapidated,"  he said. "Basically, it's  a collapsed building."

The roof of the Inn has fallen down onto the first floor and sections of the walls are visibly open to the elements.

In addition, knee high, overgrown grasses are filled with ticks and neighbors have complained about the blighted conditions.

The building, which has stood vacant for years, was once last used as a restaurant and catering hall, Verity said.

Asked for his determination, Verity said, "The building, according to the code, is unsafe and in complete disrepair."

Assistant Town Attorney Lori Hulse said since the town board passed a resolution designating the Inn as unsafe, a new prospective buyer had to purchase the property and deal with that designation -- and had to wait until the foreclosure auction took place in July before moving forward to either demolish the property or try to save it.

"We have heard that the prospective buyer wants to demolish the building," she said in June. "It's not salvageable at this point."

Since the property is now zoned residential, no future restaurant or Inn could be located on the parcel.

"It's a shame -- the building is almost historic," she said. "But the dilapidation is caused just by time wearing on it, and from abandonment."

Hulse said she didn't blame neighbors for complaining. "It's definitely an eyesore," she said. "The fencing secures the premises but it doesn't deal with the fact that the structure is so compromised it has to be demolished as soon as the court case and foreclosure are finalized."

Verity said as it stands, the building poses real danger. "It would be awful if someone were to go in -- there's no roof," he said.

How do you feel about the fact that the General Wayne Inn will likely be razed soon? Share your thoughts in the comments section.